Medium Term Planning Nightmare!

[Guest]

Does anyone out there teach ina church school? I teach at a Catholic Primary school and follow a syllabus called 'Here I Am' which some of you may be familiar with. However, my problem is that the R.E topic does not always fit in with the overall topic. This first half term for example, our overall topic was 'Journeys' which covers knowledge and understanding+cross curricular but within this time the RE was Myself and Invitations. Next, half term our over all topic is 'Colour and Light' (so we'll be doing the obvious Autumn based activities and christmas) but we also have to continue Invitations (which starts off relating to their own experience-we invited all the new chn to a welcoming pary-but then leads on to the actual Christian teaching which is Baptism).

We then start Birthdays which we will begin relating to them of course and have stories about Birthdays/role play etc and then lead on to the Christain teachings about Advent/Christmas. I want to be able to cover everything we have to with quality but it is very difficult trying to fit everything in. On top of this we want to cover the KUW goals about repect for other cultures so will be doing activities based around Islam.

I know I'm waffling on now but does anyone have the same problem or a solution? I want to be able to cover the topic of colour and light by breaking it down into sub topics week by week-eg AUTUMN COLOURS, DAY AND NIGHT, SOURCES OF LIGHT but then have to fit in the RE topic and develop the structured play week by week which was going to be a Cafe. Help!!! (thank God its time for a week off!) I would really appreciate any suggestions (eg to chill out!)

[Guest]

Hi, yes I teach in a catholic school doing Here I am, at the moment we are on invitations - I was planning on going over to church this week to look at the baptismal font and talk about baptism, but I may have to do it the first week back now. I try and fit it in during circle time, class assembly, although I must admit it is difficult. I also have a display board specifically for RE - when we get back it will be about different sorts of invitations - specifically baptism.

I'm probably not much use as I'm an NQT, but trained in non-catholic schools and am not used to teaching it. I am a catholic which helps, are you?

[Guest]

Hi, I teach in a Catholic school but we don't use Here I Am anymore - if I remember this was around when I was training 11 years ago. We use a scheme called REvision 2000. I have to be honest and say I don't even bother trying to incorporate RE into our topic based work as, for the most part, it doesn't fit in. This term hasn't been too bad though as our topic has been Ourselves and the scheme has been about families, our own families and the wider concept of God's family and how families love us and want to keep us safe.

 

Sorry - just realised this is no help whatsoever - but nice to be in contact anyway

 

Harricroft

[Guest]

Hi taylormjsc&Harricroft

Thanks for your reply, yes I am a catholic (not practising but was brought up Catholic and went to Catholic schools/did all my teaching practices in Cathlolic schools)it does help I suppose. We'll also be visiting church and doing role play baptisms. Your replies were of use. Thank you. So you don't fit RE in with topic work? I think think I probably just worry too much! Its just that some of the suggestions in HERE I AM are practical based-eg making invitations/having a welcome party. We're working with the LEA at the moment and I think I'm just paranoid as our planning is being scrutinised next term and we've been slated in the past for trying to 'fit too much in'. When we do Birthdays as our next RE topic I think I'll just have to keep it completely separate on the Medium term plan-although I was planning on using a big book about birthdays for my literacy so I would be doing RE cross curricularly but It will probably get critisised as it doesn't fit in with the overall topic!

I'll let you know how it goes!